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“Colonel Fitzwilliam, I do not believe I have had the pleasure of your company since we both attended Lord Altman’s dinner party … which, if I recall correctly, was at least a year ago. I pray all is well with your family.”
Richard could not account for Lord Addison’s friendliness, either, but he hoped to use it to their advantage. Incapable of expressing sympathy for the man’s wife since he believed Lord Addison to be responsible for her death, he repeated what William had said. “I believe you are correct, my lord. And may I take this opportunity to add my condolences to Darcy’s regarding your aunt’s passing. My mother and Lady Cargile used to be close acquaintances before her husband’s death.”
“You may. Thank you. Now, what brings you gentlemen here today?”
“Miss Elizabeth Bennet,” William replied.
Addison’s friendly expression instantly vanished as his jealous nature took over. “I see no cause to divulge private information about our employees without a good reason. May I ask what connection you have with Miss Elizabeth?”
Addison’s use of Elizabeth’s Christian name drew William’s ire, and his temper flared. As he strove to conceal the depth of his anger, he replied, “Miss Bennet is being sought by her sister, Lady Morgan. I was asked to locate her and relay a message.”
“I am at a loss to understand why Lady Morgan would commission you to find her. Surely, she knew her sister was employed by my aunt. She had only to contact me, and I would have got word to Miss Elizabeth.”
Seeing that his cousin’s face was turning crimson, Richard interjected, “Lady Morgan has been under tremendous pressure since the death of her husband, and it is likely she is not thinking clearly. Besides, I am certain she felt comfortable asking my cousin to help, since he is the executor of Lord Morgan’s will.”
Now it was time for Lord Addison’s face to crimson. “You are in charge of Lord Morgan’s affairs?” he repeated, clearly annoyed.
“I am, and that includes taking care of Miss Bennet, per his wishes.”
“And to think … if Miss Elizabeth had only been agreeable, I would gladly have taken that burden upon myself.”
“If one truly knows Miss Bennet, one understands she is not in the habit of having other people take an interest in her affairs … not even me,” William replied solemnly. “I attempt to do so only because I promised her brother that I would.”
Seeing they were locking horns, Richard intervened. “I spoke with Miss Bennet’s uncle in Cheapside yesterday, and he said she had left his house and was on her way here. It appeared she had no knowledge of Lady Cargile’s death at the time and was hoping to resume her position as her ladyship’s companion.”
“She was here yesterday, and I had the misfortune of having to tell her that my aunt had passed.”
“Could that not have been handled in the letter you sent?” William asked, his mouth settling into a thin line. “Why make her return to learn the truth?”
Lord Addison’s expression grew even darker. “I wished to tell her in person so that I could offer my assistance. Moreover, I needed to pass along her last month’s pay and a gift my aunt left Miss Elizabeth in her will.”
William dearly wanted to ask about the gift, but he did not. “Did she say where she was going when she left here?”
“No, she did not.”
Richard stood. “If we are to discover where she is now, my cousin and I should be on our way.”
William rose as well, and soon he and Richard were standing on the pavement beside William’s carriage which was parked in front of the townhouse.
Stunned at the amount of relief he felt to know he would not be in Elizabeth’s company anytime soon, William barely heard his cousin ask, “Darcy, do you suppose we might stop by that charity where Miss Lydia resides and ask if she has seen her sister lately?”
“No. Lady Morgan made it plain that Miss Bennet does not want Miss Lydia to suspect she told anyone about discovering her. Nor does she wish her to learn that Mr. Bennet and Lord Morgan have both died, which in effect destroyed Miss Elizabeth’s plan to buy the bakery in Lambton. For the time being, it is best we abide by her wishes.”
“So, where do we go now?”
William sighed. “Humphrey’s law office is only ten minutes from here. I would like to strike that off my list of things to do.”
Richard replaced his hat and gave it a tap. “Lead on, fearless leader!”
William merely shook his head at his cousin’s antics before entering his carriage.
As William and Richard conversed on the street below, Lord Addison watched from a third-storey window. He had never liked either man, but he particularly disliked Fitzwilliam Darcy. Darcy would never allow him inside his inner circle of friends—a sphere that few could boast of—and it galled him to think that this man had access to Elizabeth Bennet in a way that he could never claim.
“Pompous idiot!” he said, before turning from the window.
London
Mortimer Street
